What Dreams May Come
by vivid.vagueness
Summary: Who reads the minor fine print? Everyone except Kiba, apparently. His carelessly executed jutsu launches Shino and Hinata into the ever revealing realm of their unconscious and very soon, well-hidden secrets will emerge...what dreams may come? ShinoHina
1. Chapter 1

What Dreams May Come

Shino Aburame x Hinata Hyuuga

Summary:

Who reads the minor fine print? Everyone except Kiba, apparently. His carelessly executed jutsu launches Shino and Hinata into the ever revealing realm of their unconscious and very soon, well-hidden secrets will emerge...what dreams may come?

**Prologue: Good Intentions**

She was incredibly jittery today, every part of her body seemed to be tingling with nervous sensations, the reason for which she knew of quite well. She'd finally see him again – her closest friend, her confidante, and the only person who her heart belonged to. Unrequited love seemed to plague every one of her romantic desires. She had loved – no, _admired_ Naruto years before but her feelings began to waver as she started to discover what love really meant. This understood love she found instead in...

"Sh-Shino-kun!" she exclaimed with surprise as the tall figure, with his ever concealing sense of fashion came within range of her Byakugan. It had become tradition for Team Kurenai to meet up at their training spot (a mere forst clearing) upon returning from missions. At least one of them had always been there to welcome their comrades home – that was Hinata. She wasn't sent out on too many missions since she began training as a medic nin. It was to this purpose that she served as an anchor for her fromer team, someone to return home to.

Something was off though. She could sense Shino's chakra pulsating irregularly. Was he injured? Was it some unknown techinique? Besides, he was a pro in concealing his chakra (much like the rest of his appearance). What made it so evident now?

He came into view, dishelved and struggling to walk straight. He muttered a curse word as his vision began to blur. He was so going to kill that literal son of a bitch as soon as he got out of this horrid state. It was his mistake to let down his guard after all. What was Kiba driving at anyway? He was a prankster but he carried out his annoying ministrations with cause – or so Shino thought.

"Shino-kun! What happened?" Hinata appeared next to him but he couldn't see her clearly. The figure standing before him was but a shiny blur and he wanted to see more of that light so he took off his dark glasses. "Hina-hime?" he said as he collapsed.

It had only been for a few seconds but Hinata swore she saw heaven in his golden orbs. He was beyond handsome. If he ever revealed his face in public, girls wouldn't give a damn about his kikaichu and start flaunting themselves at him. She was still thinking about his angelic features when he collapsed forcing her to snap out of her reverie.

Efficient as she was as a medic nin, she conducted a quick physical exam to check for irregularities in his system. She couldn't seem to detect any. Her panic was rising fast. Though he merely appeared to be sleeping, he could die any moment and she wouldn't even know of the cause. She decided to bring him to Lady Tsunade. But before that, she took his hand in hers and uttered a silent prayer to Kami. What followed after that escaped the clutches of her memory and she collapsed beside him, still holding his hand.

_Emerging from the forestry..._

"Things are going far better than I expected, Akamaru." chuckled Kiba as he ruffled the fur on Akamaru's head. "This technique was so worth learning. They're in for a long, long night." Akamaru wooffed in agreement. "Oh, the lengths I travel to make my friends happy. I should be getting an award for this, hehehe."

"Where are you, you stupid dog?" the blonde's fury increased with every step.

"Uh-oh..." Akamaru was now cowering behind Kiba.

Ino stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the two sleeping figures in the middle of the clearing. Kiba sensed that something was gonna go horribly, horribly wrong.

"What the... what is this? What the hell did you do this time, Kiba?" she said while pinching his poor ear.

"Wait, wait! I-I can explain!"

"Explain what? Stealing one of the treasured Yamanaka scrolls just so you could get into the heads of your teammates? Are you crazy? Akamaru here has more of a moral sense than you do!"

"I-it's all under control. I got this. It isn't too bad right? I just get to control their dreams for a couple of hours..."

"Control their dreams? You idiot! Did you read the freakin' fine print? You can't control their dreams coz you don't have my bloodline limit. God, just when I thought you couldn't get any stupider you exceed my expectations."

"W-w-wait... so the Dream Scroll was lying? What'll happen to them now? Will they ever wake up? Can't you fix this?" Kiba was seriously panicking for the sake of his friends.

"The fine print says that users of the scroll who do not belong to the Yamanaka clan will not have full control over the technique's abilities. In other words, you get to mesh their dreams but you won't have access to their dreams and no control over their subconscious at all. They're both at the mercy of their subconsious thoughts and they'd have no control over the things that will be revealed in their dreams. You just ended their relationship before it started, Kiba."

"But, but I... Can't you do something, Ino?" said Kiba, already disheartened and guilty.

"I-I can't do anything. You cast the jutsu, not me. I can't interfere. We'll just have to wait for them to wake up and see what happens from there." Ino sighed guiltily, she was very well for telling Kiba about the scroll in the first place. He was her boyfriend but she allowed him to overstep a boundary by letting him into their clan's library. She should've known better.

She could only hug him to make him feel less bad. Shino and Hinata – what secrets will be revealed? The deepest, darkest ones. She was sure of it. Kiba just dissolved Team Eight.

TBC...

A/N: Review and review! Suggest and comment! Request as well!


	2. Soulmates

Chapter 1 : Soulmates

Kiba kept pacing around with an anxious expression on his face. He had every reason to be worried. The two most important people in his life were to be prisoners of their combined subconscious minds for the next few hours and it was all because of him – stupid him.

"Gah!" in his distracted state Kiba ran himself into a – "Motherfucking tree!" Ino blocked the innocent tree from Kiba's destructive kick just in the nick of time.

"Would you get a hold of yourself! I already told you that all we can do now is wait."

"Wait? I-I can't just wait while Hinata's forced to watch all of Shino's dirty, wet dreams!" Kiba had his head in his hands in agony while the image burned in his mind; Ino let out a long sigh.

"Not only did you NOT read the fine print. YOU DIDN'T READ THE MAJOR TEXT EITHER!" with superhuman strength that could rival Sakura's, Ino flung Kiba across the clearing. He was lying dead flat on the ground when she appeared within line of his sight.

"I don't like repeating myself so listen up, dog. The Yume Jutsu has three phases, each representing the strongest forces in a person's subconscious: memories, fears and desires." she held up a finger to signify each one. "Right now they're probably witnessing each other's most important memories. But there's more to that than just seeing what the other person went through. You get to situate yourself within that person – see what he sees, feel what he feels and hear his thoughts at that time. You _become_ that person while still being yourself."

"Woah. I thnk I'm getting dizzy... So you mean to say that right now, Hinata's Shino and Shino's Hinata?" Kiba asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Eh...close enough." Ino replied and sat beside him, deiciding to stop the lecture given Kiba's limited information retention capabilities. A long pause ensued. "I hope they find each other."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's very rare but it's possible for their souls to meet each other while the jutsu runs its course. See, by linking their dreams, you created a portal by which their souls are exchanged. Their souls will only get to meet each other if their beings are completely in sync." she explained all of this while drawing a digram on some loose soil with a twig.

"Soulmates do exist, Kiba." she drew a heart between the male and female stick figures in her diagram. "I just don't know what it'll be like if they don't find each other."

"They'll close off from each other... and from the rest of the world." Kiba glanced toward his sleeping teammates with a glint of hope in his eyes. "I believe in you two. Shino. Hinata."

_There she resides,_

_a captive light._

Shino opened his eyes, squinting at the light. He needed his glasses. He attempted to reach for them but his hand wouldn't move. Then he noticed that he was still staring at the ceiling. He couldn't control his eyes either. He was completely powerless – scratch that – he was completely screwed.

"Hinata..." a light knock sounded and his sight was directed towards the door. Why was he being called Hinata? Was Hinata with him here? Where was he anyway?

"Hai, okaasan." Things were starting to make less sense. This body he was in responded to Hinata's name so at least that pointed out that he was in her body. But why was the voice that of a little girl? The door slid open and there stood a woman who he'd never met before but could identify immediately. She looked just like his Hina-hime or rather, his Hina-hime looked just like her. The fog started to clear for Shino.

"It seems your fever hasn't gone down yet." said Hinata's mother while placing the back of her hand in contact with Hinata's forehead. "Didn't I tell you to not play in the rain?" the scolding tone was overcome by motherly concern. Shino began to feel comfortable with the situation.

_'This is probably one of the few memories Hinata has left of her mother.'_ he said to nobody in particular. He didn't know how he got to access Hinata's memories but he was thankful for it. She never spoke about her mother and they never asked after once sensing her discomfort.

"Achoo!" little Hinata sneezed. The sound of the sneeze was just too adorable, Shino wished he saw what she looked like. "Gomenasai, okaasan." Hinata's mom sat beside her and pulled her into a hug. Shino felt an unfamiliar warmth and relished the sensation. It was a feeling Hinata would no longer experience for the rest of her life – a mother's love.

Hinata blinked for a milisecond and the limp image of her mother falling to the floor filled her sight. Blood pooled around the woman's dead body. Shino could feel panic overtake surprise in the young Hinata. As the little girl reached for her mother, a rough hand caught hers.

"Not so fast princess." Hinata came face to face with menacing eyes. She started to cry and pull away but she was too weak. She couldn't find her voice.

"The bitch wasn't even a shinobi. These fucking Hyuuga's were idiots to think we'd settle for the death of Hisashi." there was more of them.

"Pretty bad security for a noble clan. Most of them are out today, including the head. Some important ceremony. Fuck it! We won't be getting what we came for." this time a harsh female voice.

"I wonder how we'll make do with this little one..." the first man spoke, an evil grin plastered on his deformed face "do we skin her? Chop her into tiny little pieces? Take out her fingernails one by one? Oh! The endless possibilities."

"Shut up! Do you hear that?" commanded the kuniochi.

The male ninja let go of Hinata's wrist. She instantly fled to her mother's body while their assailants were massacred by elite Hyuuga ninjas. Her father flew into a wild rage, finally settling beside his wife's corpse. He let out a wail of despair; everyone else left the room leaving Hinata with her father. She was lost within her own thoughts.

_'What've I done? This is all my fault. If I hadn't gotten sick. If I didn't play in the rain. Mother would've been safe if we went with father and the others. This is my fault. I killed mom. I killed mom!'_ Shino's heart sank as Hinata' s guilt intensified. He remembered how she always hated the rain. How she feared getting sick. This was the root of it all and he understood.

_'It's not your fault. None of this is your fault.'_ Shino tried to calm the young Hinata then he realized that his words won't change anything. These were her memories, after all. This is her past.

He wanted to reach out to her, to embrace her as her mother did before, to give her even the slightest sensation of warmth. He wanted to tell her he loved her – that he had always loved her. He wished that she could forgive herself.

"G-gomen-nas-sai, o-ok-okaasan." Hinata repeated the last words she spoke to her mother, knowing she'd never be forgiven. She didn't deserve forgiveness.

_He lost himself_

_to this world of lies._

She stared intently at a flower – it was a blue windflower if she remembered correctly – yet she couldn't remember _why_ she was staring at it. Suddenly, her surroundings whirled about and it was as if she couldn't control her sight. She was running against her will, stopping without deciding to. Then, she heard herself speak.

"Otousan, why do we have to come here today? It's my birthday, remember?" This was _definitely_ not her voice and the person she was looking at _definitely_ wasn't her father. The formidable man in the concealing jacket and dark shades was _definitely_ Shino's father. Which directly pointed out the fact that...

_'I'm in Shino's body! But why's he so young? This must be some sort of memory jutsu.'_ As Hinata tried to piece together all the information she was getting, something hit her. She hadn't noticed earlier that little Shino wasn't wearing any shades! Oh Kami, she'd love to stare at his dreamy eyes again.

"Where are we going, dad?" inquired the little Shino while looking up at his stoic father who gave no reply whatsoever. The child resorted to a long sigh.

_'This is the worst birthday ever. Why did we have to travel for weeks just to get my birthday present? This better be good.'_ Hinata heard his thoughts and was shocked for a bit then she realized just how special it was to be sharing Shino's memories. She never knew he was inwardly demanding. She felt closer to him than she ever was. They stopped walking upon reaching the mouth of an enormous cave.

"Listen, Shino. I am only going to say this once. You are to enter through this opening, as you proceed, the cave will fork into several paths. You are free to venture into any path you wish to take but you cannot go back on your decisions. At the end of your path, your destiny awaits. Now go." with a firm shove from his father, Shino took a few steps into the cave.

"Oh and remember to keep your mouth closed the entire time." came the follow-up advice from Shibi Aburame. Through Shino's eyes Hinata could see a hint of worry cross Shibi's features. She knew what was going to happen but didn't have a distinct clue at the same time.

Shino's heartbeat raced with every further step. Hinata could feel his intense fear and it bothered her to no end. The paths forked and twisted but Shino did not even consider taking a backward glance. He was courageous, even as a child. That made her love him more. He finally reached a dead end and the lights that seemed to accompany him through his journed suddenly vanished. A singular lamp light shone. It was held by a tiny, bald, old man in ancient green robes.

"Hello there little one! Ohoho! This is splendid! Splendid indeed! You are the chosen one! The chosen one!" the old man started clapping his hands. Little Shino couldn't comprehend why the old man was so happy. He was probably a mental case locked up here for all eternity – uh-oh that would mean Shino was in an asylum of some sort.

"I am the last and you are the first! Great news indeed! Ohoho! Your father would be very proud!" Shino's ears perked at that.

"My father? What do you know about my father?"

"Oh we down here know everything about every single Aburame that ever lived. You're time has come little Shino. Enter your kikaichu realm." The old man lifted his staff and traced an inevident symbol on the dead end. Shino got sucked in.

"So, you have finally arrived, my destined child." a loud booming voice called out to Shino. Everything was dark, not a speck of light made its way to aid Shino. "I shall grant you power beyond measure but you must sacrifice yourself for my sake. Let the ritual begin."

No words would escape from Shino's mouth. He was paralyzed with fear. Hinata could clearly hear his mental screams. He didn't want this. He didn't even know why he was here. Why was he being tortured like this? Bite followed successive bite. Hinata felt the sting of pain, she was screaming herself. His only scream was muffled out by the multitude of cascading insects. It filled every part of him, eating at his flesh, gnawing at his skin until everything settled and stopped. Shino lay motionless, thinking he was going to die.

The old hermit returned into sight, waving his hand above Shino's face. "Yoohoo! We have a survivor here!"

"Ugh...turn off the light." the light sent shooting pains through his eyes.

"Oh, yes, yes. This is a historical day for the Aburame clan. You are the fulfillment of the prophecy made when the first contract was made between your great ancestors and the instect realm."

"What prophecy?" asked Shino while getting up, he could sense his way through the dark perfectly.

"These sacred caves are governed by ties of destiny. There are countless insect species at every dead end. And it is said that the last of these insects to be chosen will grant the greatest power to the first child destined to it. You are that child Shino! Hohoho!"

"What? Wait this doesn't make sense –"

"In due time will the truth be revealed to you, little one. My mission here is done." and with that the old man vanished completely, Shino could no longer sense him.

_'I didn't even get to ask for his name. Sigh. Words are tiring indeed.'_ Hinata knew the price of Shino's power. It wasn't only his body, it was his entire lifetime. She recalled how no one wanted to play with the detested bugboy. How people were grossed out by his kikaichu. A pang of hurt erupted in her chest. She wanted so badly for him to know that she loved him but she could never say it. She could never say anything right. Would he even accept her?

_'Take the right path, now the left, choose the 3__rd__ path...'_ his kikaichu buzzed instructions on which way to go. _'So they've always been taking care of him ever since...'_ Hinata thought to herself. She loved every last bit of him and every last one of his insects. He would never be lost again.

TBC...

A/N: A great many thank yous to everyone who reviewed and are following this story! You guys are my inspiration to keep on writing. I think this pairing is indeed adorable with a lot of innate depth. The next chapter will be an emotionally loaded one. Will update soon! Review and review!

XOXO,

vividvagueness

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. But I do want to own Shino... aaand he's gone!


	3. Knowing

Chapter 2: Knowing

_What her eyes were shielded from,_

_ripped her heart and soul to pieces._

Shino came face to face with his fourteen year-old self. Did he always seem that distant? Those glasses were really effective. As Team 8, they'd go out on missions with their jounin sensei, Kurenai. This particular one he remembered almost perfectly.

They had just changed shifts. Kiba and Hinata were to be the lookouts that evening while Shino and their sensei got some decent sleep. Not long after, Kiba and Akamaru came yelling for help. Hinata had been kidnapped and what started out as a simple information gathering mission turned into a rescue mission. Shino remembered it being resolved with Kurenai-sensei saving an unconscious Hinata and that was the end of that.

Through Hinata's eyes, he saw Kiba dozing off outside the tents. They were all tired.

"K-kiba-kun, d-dont l-leave me al-lone." she let out a long sigh when he didn't respond. She petted the mid-sized Akamaru who stayed by her feet. Shino wanted to give Kiba a good beating for sleeping on the job. Akamaru started growling, Hinata looked around then activated her Byakugan. Seeing what she saw, Shino was truly amazed.

Hinata saw the attack but she dodged too late. Shino could still hear Akamaru barking in the background, trying to wake Kiba to no avail. Hinata fell into an unconscious state for quite a while. When she awoke, she found herself in a richly laden room. She tried to get up but then was stopped by the chains that linked her limbs to the bed.

"My prize, you have awakened." the voice belonged to a stout, piggy-eyed man. His eyes ran through Hinata's frame over and over again. Shino felt sick. Hinata's escalating fear resonated. "You see, I don't like outsiders trudging within my property. I require some sore of... ah! Payment." he inched his way closer to Hinata. "Give me your innocent body without struggling and I'll leave your little friends alone. I have samurai and shinobis at my command just so you know what you're dealing with here, eh." he started unzipping her white jacket.

_'What do I do? I can't call for help. They're all asleep, they'll be defenseless if these people attack. If I struggle, I'll end up killing them just like... just like mom.'_ Shino was burning with rage. He couldn't stand and watch while the person he loved most was being tormented like this. Why did she keep this from them? Why did Kurenai-sensei keep this a secret between her and Hinata? Why was he never told about this?

The dirty man pulled down her pants and tore her undershirt, revealing Hinata only in her underwear. He licked his lips in a most disgusting carnal manner. Shino was boiling with anger. He couldn't stop what he was seeing. _'Please don't, please don't, please don't.' _Hinata kept chanting in her mind as if if she said it enough times, she'd awaken from this nightmare.

"I see you've made your decision. Smart girl." situating himself beside her, he trailed his fingers along her creamy skin – her arms, her face, her neck, her forming cleavage, her stomach. Suddenly, his left hand groped her left breast. Hinata cried out in pain. "I can keep you here for a few more years then wait for you to fully develop. You'd make a good concubine." he pulled up her bra with considerable force then began to suckle at her right breast.

Shino couldn't take it anymore. He was in killing mode. He wanted to kill this man for desecrating his most beloved. He wanted to kill Kiba for getting Hinata kidnapped. He wanted to kill Kurenai for not telling him about this. He wanted to kill himself to stop from seeing this memory of hers. She was in a lot of pain and he couldn't – didn't do anything about it.

The old bastard leaned in toward Hinata's ear and commanded her, "Say 'fuck me'." Hinata wouldn't speak. She was at the point of giving up her dignity if but to save the life of her team. "I said say it, bitch! Say it or I'll give my men the signal!"

"F-f-fuck m-m-me." she closed her eyes really hard trying to imagine that she was in a faraway place. She was embarassed beyond measure. She'd rather he'd kill her.

"Look at me. I said look at me, you slut! Now lift your legs. Good. I want you to watch while I destroy you." Hinata was literally crying now. Shino was trying to think of different things._"I want you to watch while I destroy her_". A hand ventured down to Hinata's womanhood. He kneaded her clit as her breathing deepened. "You want this, don't you, bitch? You're enoying this!" he tore her panties and took a good look at her gaping vagina. He placed one, two, three fingers inside and began pumping.

"Yamete kudasai." she whispered. He paid no attention. "Yamete kudasai" she said a little bit louder. His pumping speed increased. "Yamete!" Hinata was practically screaming now. "Stop? We haven't even gotten to the best part." replied her captor, opening her legs even wider. "Yamete! Yamete! Yamete!" she felt him pull out of her and opened her eyes to the sight of his decapitated form. Kurenai-sensei's big red eyes met her white orbs. And she broke down. Kurenai freed her from her chains and both women hugged each other.

Shino couldn't characterize what Hinata was feeling at that moment. So many emotions plagued him – even those he thought he wasn't capable of feeling. All these he witnessed but he still loved her. He wanted to love her, to take away every painful memory she had. He'd accept her no matter what. And anyone who intended to wreck her future happiness would meet their demise by his hand.

_How long must he hide_

_from the light that casts his shadow?_

The images shifted too quickly for Hinata to notice her transition into a new memory. Rain pelleted down as Shino jumped from tree to tree. He raced towards a forest clearing and landed smoothly on a low branch.

"Nothing within sight of a hundred meters. My bugs will report any unusual activity." Hinata sensed the presence of the person Shino was talking to but she couldn't see him.

"Very well. Let's begin, shall we." a cloaked figure emerged from below shere Shino was standing. He took a few paces towards the center of the clearing and there Hinata saw a man tied to a tall wooden stake. The cloaked figure stood very close to the prisoner, doing an interrogation of some sort. Hinata couldn't figure out why Shino was here, this wasn't the mission atmosphere they were used to. The cloaked man raised a finger. Shino extended his arm, as if to reach out for something. His kikaichu flew towards the captive.

"Ahhhh! Aaaaahhhhhhhh!" Shino stared at his own feet as screams filled the area. Hinata could feel certain kind of guilt emanating from Shino. Shino lifted his gaze towards the tortured man and a bloody eye socket came within sight. The cloaked ally started questioning again. No answers came. A second finger was lifted.

"Please, please don't. Aaaahhhhh!" A new wave of kikaichu took out his second eye. _'Goddammit just talk!'_ Shino thought to himself. Hinata refused to believe what she was seeing. This was not her Shino. He wasn't a monster. He would never do this at will.

"I-I'lll talk! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything you want to know!" and talk he did. Shino's relief washed over. He didn't like this any more than Hinata did. The conversation stopped and the cloaked man seemed content with the information he had extracted from their poor subject. His next words were directed towards Shino.

"We're done here. Dispose of all traces." Hinata could feel Shino's hesitance. He was nervous and shaky. _'No please Shino. Don't do it. Don't do it!'_

"Do it now!" A shaky hand sent an entire swarm of bugs in the direction of the blind man. Screams drowned out the heavily pouring rain. A strike of thunder boomed nearby. It was finished. Nothing remeained in the center of the clearing but a thick, tall, wooden stake. Shino was still shaking.

_'What have I done?'_

"You did excellent for a first timer, Shino." The cloaked figure turned around and Hinata finally understood why Shino was doing all this. Anger started building up within her. She felt so betrayed.

"The hokage made no mistake in recommending you for ANBU." She would cry if she could. How could he do this without telling them? Without telling her? Did he have a suicide wish? "Let's head back home." commanded the captain leaving first then other hidden members followed. Shino lifted his mask and stared at the wooden stake. The tortured man's body had been devoured by his kikaichu and his kikaichu had returned to their nest. The dead man was inside him. It made him want to puke.

Hinata heard all of his thoughts but she couldn't do a single thing. She was always safe as a medic in Konoha while Shino was sent out on almost-suicide missions and torture missions. Why did he choose to join ANBU? Nothing made sense to her anymore. She didn't know him anymore.

_'Do you think this is worth it Shino?' _a voice only too familiar to Hinata sounded in Shino's head, another memory. _'If you're trying to find your place I'm telling you right now that you don't belong with ANBU.' _So Kurenai-sensei knew. _'You know she won't accept this. It'll break her hea-'_

_ 'Her heart belongs to someone else. I've only always been in the background for her and I need to break out of that. She'll never see me the way I see her.' _Shino retorted.

_'So what? You're just going to walk away and let her go without a fight? Being part of ANBU won't stop you from feeling, Shino! It won't make you forget about her, it won't stop you from loving her!' _Silence.

_'I'll leave her to find her own happiness...'_

Hinata was seriously confused now. Who was it they were talking about? Shino was in love with someone else? He joined ANBU to forget about this girl? Her heart was crushed by the multitude of questions that kept forming. Only one truth remained... he didn't love her.

TBC...

A/N: Woohoo another chapter up! Tell me how I'm doing so far. Review and review. Ciao!

Disclaimer: I want to own Sasori, turns out, he owns me... Naruto's not mine.


	4. Reversal

Chapter 3: Reversal

Shino completely lost himself. He kneeled in defeat and furiously screamed as Hinata's subconscious shifted. He closed his ears and eyes to fend himself from whatever would next be revealed to him. He had never felt so powerless, not knowing how or why he was in Hinata's mind. He'd killed a lot of people before, in ways more gruesome and detestable than the last two memories of Hinata he was forced to witness but nothing disturbed him more than the thought of Hinata having to live with those experiences. And he was partly to blame. He was to blame for not being there for her. He was to blame for leaving her alone. He was to blame for giving up on his love for her.

"Shino-kun..."

* * *

Hinata found herself in a sea of darkness. She couldn't help but wonder about just how many more people Shino was forced to torture and assassinate. She was enraged at the girl Shino loved. It was an insult to her for someone else to hold Shino's heart when she definitely loved him more than anyone else. A voice interrupted Hinata's thoughts.

"Shino-kun..."

* * *

The ever familiar clearing where Team 8 trained for several years appeared before Shino. The Hinata in this memory shifted her gaze downward revealing a soundly sleeping Shino on her lap. Then things clicked. He remembered this particular day. He had returned from an ANBU mission that almost wiped his chakra dry. Hinata was there, as always, to welcome him home. He nodded to acknowledge her then walked past her and settled in the middle of the shaded clearing, instantly falling asleep. He lastly remembered waking up the next day and finding her asleep beside him. He carried her, snuck into the Hyuuga compound and tucked her in her own bed. She probably stayed out of concern for him and that made him feel a tinge of guilt. He had already given up on pursuing her. He shouldn't try to find meaning in the things she did for him.

He was drawn back to the memory when she spoke again. "Shino-kun, I'm glad you came back safely." Hinata was whispering to the sleeping Shino. It seems she placed his head on her lap moments before. Shino's earlier rage started to cool down, hearing Hinata's voice. It always had a calming effect on him. She stroked his cheek then took a hold of his glasses. After seconds of hesitation, she took them off and Shino's sleeping face came into view.

* * *

_'Hina-hime?'_

Shino's voice resounded in the dark, endless space. Shivers ran down Hinata's spine. It's been such a long time since he had called her that.

"Shino-kun, I'm glad you came back safely."

An artificial blush spread over the listening Hinata. She was listening to herself. And she knew very well what was to follow. She sincerely thought he was asleep when she said all of these. Turns out he wasn't. _'So he heard everything?'_. She was embarrassed to no end.

* * *

"Why do you hide your face from the world, Shino?" She traced his cheek and jawline with her light fingers. "Then again, that might be a good thing. If girls everywhere saw you looking like this, they'd never stop chasing you." Hinata chuckled softly. It was Shino's turn to feel slightly embarrassed. _'What exactly did she mean by that?'_

* * *

_'When will you stop waiting for me?'_

Hinata was taken aback by Shino's thoughts. Was he that keen to distance himself from her? Hinata readied herself for harsher thoughts that might sound in Shino's memory but they never came. He did fall asleep and whatever things she said next at that time weren't heard by him. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief.

_'It only hurts more every time you're there to welcome me home.'_

She certainly did not expect to hear those words from Shino. How could she ever hurt him?

* * *

"It's rather frustrating, you know, Shino-kun." she paused for a while and then tucked some cascading hairstrands behind her ear. "We've been friends and teammates for the longest time but you barely take any notice of me. It's like I don't exist to you." her face registered a frown.

Shino couldn't believe what he missed out on. He should not have slept – no, he should've just _pretended_ to sleep - if he knew what Hinata was going to say to him. If he'd been awake, he could've told her that he had always looked at her, that she meant the world to him.

* * *

_'It's a pain, you know, seeing you chase after that asshole Uzumaki. But if he makes you that happy then I'd gladly hand you over to him.'_

What was he talking about? She'd stopped chasing Naruto a long time ago. Then she understood why Shino still thought that way. Since he joined ANBU, he'd only be home for days at a time. His numerous missions pulled him away from society, he wouldn't know what was going on in her life.

_'I'll lock away these feelings, then. Though I'll only admit them to myself for one last time before letting you go.'_

Hinata felt her heart wince in pain. She felt Shino's heart wince in pain.

* * *

"But whether you see me or not, my feelings for you won't change..."

Shino felt his heartbeat accelerate rapidly. He felt Hinata's heart pounding faster and faster.

* * *

_'I love you, Hinata.'_

"I love you, Shino."

* * *

Shino's eyes opened suddenly. He sat up and noticed immediately that he had returned to his body. Inches from him, Hinata checked herself then looked at him with a relieved expression on her face. She hugged him a little too suddenly and he was back on the ground.

"It's really you, Shino!" Shino wrapped his arms around Hinata, in an effort to calm her down. "I'm glad you're alright, Hime." They stayed in the embrace for a long moment before remebering their current situation. They both sat up, Shino reached for his glasses but Hinata's hand stopped him.

"It's the first time I've ever taken a good look at your face, Shino-kun." she said with a smile that made his heart skip a beat. Shino reached out to touch her face, clearing some strands of hair, and cupping her cheek. What was wrong with showing some affection? They've been in love with each other all this time, for crying out loud. Hinata placed her arms behind his neck and pulled him in. Their foreheads met, silence ensued, their breathing ran parallel.

Shino broke the silence, still not looking at her. "How come you never told me about what happened in the Mist village?" Hinata let go of him, her back becoming rigid. So he'd been seeing flashes of her memories while she saw his. Her anger steadily increased.

"How could you even ask something like that?"

"I believe I had every right to know."

"And what would you have done if you knew? Do you honestly think it's that easy to tell, Shino? I have to live with that vile memory every single waking moment. You don't know how I feel!" they were both on their feet now.

"I felt everything you felt, Hinata! And God knows just how angry I am at everyone and everything that made you go through those horrible things. If you told me, you wouldn't have had to carry the burden alone. I could've helped you!"

"Helped me? You betrayed me, Shino! How could you join ANBU and keep it a secret from me? Do you wan't to get yourself killed? How could you allow them to destroy you?"

"I joined ANBU because I didn't belong anywhere else. _You_ should understand that better than anyone."

The shouting match escalated, they failed to notice immediately that their surroundings were dissolving quickly. A magnetic force drove them apart. They wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

TBC

* * *

A/N: I'm stuck in a rut. :( College is getting to me plus, I'm sick. Crappy weekend. I really wanted to have Shino and Hinata fight. Must be the effect of this week's bad vibes. I'll try to update once I get better. Til then...

Disclaimer: Naruto = not mine.


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